Girded by a primitive, Thomas organ-style percussion loop, the title track of this spirited five-song EP yields the most hook-laden track Cherubs have unleashed since their depraved 1993 cover of Blondie’s “Dreaming.” Submerged just beneath the cacophonous rubble is a lo-fi stoner pop anthem that pitches and yaws its way into the subconscious. “Donkey Suite” locks in a grizzled spiral of distressed noise punctuated by guitarist/vocalist Kevin Whitley’s high-pitched yowl, while “Red Carpet Blues” drives headlong into pitch-shifted oblivion. Shit & Shine and Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington contributes remixes of “Fist in the Air.” The former slows the tune down against a harrowing slurry of underwater noise. The latter alternates synthetic beats and full-bore distortion. Fist in the Air proves succinct but potent evidence that last year’s 2 Ynfynyty, first Cherubs LP in more than two decades, was no fluke.
This article appears in April 8 • 2016.
